Teach Sound Doctrine

But as for you, teach what accords with (A)sound[a] doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, (B)sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. (C)Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, (D)not slanderers (E)or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, (F)pure, (G)working at home, kind, and (H)submissive to their own husbands, (I)that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge (J)the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be (K)a model of good works, and in your teaching (L)show integrity, (M)dignity, and (N)sound speech that cannot be condemned, (O)so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. (P)Bondservants[b] are to be submissive to their own masters (Q)in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, (R)but showing all good faith, (S)so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11 For (T)the grace of God (U)has appeared, bringing salvation (V)for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and (W)worldly passions, and (X)to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in (Y)the present age, 13 (Z)waiting for our blessed (AA)hope, the (AB)appearing of the glory of our great (AC)God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 (AD)who gave himself for us to (AE)redeem us from all lawlessness and (AF)to purify for himself (AG)a people for his own possession who are (AH)zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and (AI)rebuke with all authority. (AJ)Let no one disregard you.

Footnotes

  1. Titus 2:1 Or healthy; also verses 2, 8
  2. Titus 2:9 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

Du derimod, tal, hvad der sømmer sig for den sunde Lære: at gamle Mænd skulle være ædruelige, ærbare, sindige, sunde i Troen, i Kærligheden, i Udholdenheden; at gamle Kvinder ligeledes skulle skikke sig, som det sømmer sig hellige, ikke bagtale, ikke være forfaldne til megen Vin, men være Lærere i, hvad godt er, for at de må få de unge Kvinder til at besinde sig på at elske deres Mænd og at elske deres Børn, at være sindige, kyske, huslige, gode, deres egne Mænd undergivne, for at Guds Ord ikke skal bespottes. Forman ligeledes de unge Mænd til at være sindige, idet du i alle Måder viser dig selv som et Forbillede på gode Gerninger og i Læren viser Ufordærvethed, Ærbarhed, sund, ulastelig Tale, for at Modstanderen må blive til Skamme, når han intet ondt har at sige om os. Forman Trælle til at underordne sig under deres egne Herrer, at være dem til Behag i alle Ting, ikke sige imod, 10 ikke besvige, men vise al god Troskab, for at de i alle Måder kunne være en Pryd for Guds, vor Frelsers Lære.

11 Thi Guds Nåde er bleven åbenbaret til Frelse for alle Mennesker 12 og opdrager os til at forsage Ugudeligheden og de verdslige Begæringer og leve sindigt og retfærdigt og gudfrygtigt i den nærværende Verden; 13 forventende det salige Håb og den store Guds og vor Frelsers Jesu Kristi Herligheds Åbenbarelse, 14 han, som gav sig selv for os, for at han måtte forløse os fra al Lovløshed og rense sig selv et Ejendomsfolk, nidkært til gode Gerninger. 15 Tal dette, og forman og irettesæt med al Myndighed; lad ingen ringeagte dig!

Qualities of a Sound Church

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, (A)homemakers, good, (B)obedient to their own husbands, (C)that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be (D)a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, (E)incorruptibility,[a] sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of [b]you.

Exhort (F)bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not [c]pilfering, but showing all good [d]fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Trained by Saving Grace

11 For (G)the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 (H)looking for the blessed (I)hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 (J)who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed (K)and purify for Himself (L)His own special people, zealous for good works.

15 Speak these things, (M)exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Footnotes

  1. Titus 2:7 NU omits incorruptibility
  2. Titus 2:8 NU, M us
  3. Titus 2:10 thieving
  4. Titus 2:10 honesty

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with[a] sound teaching. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled,[b] sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.[c] Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy, not slandering, not slaves to excessive drinking, but teaching what is good. In this way[d] they will train[e] the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled,[f] pure, fulfilling their duties at home,[g] kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message[h] of God may not be discredited.[i] Encourage younger men likewise to be self-controlled,[j] showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss,[k] because he has nothing evil to say about us. Slaves[l] are to be subject to their own masters in everything,[m] to do what is wanted and not talk back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith,[n] in order to bring credit to[o] the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.[p] 12 It trains us[q] to reject godless ways[r] and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing[s] of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.[t] 14 He[u] gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his,[v] who are eager to do good.[w] 15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke[x] that carries full authority.[y] Don’t let anyone look down[z] on you.

Footnotes

  1. Titus 2:1 tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).
  2. Titus 2:2 tn Or “sensible.”
  3. Titus 2:2 sn Temperate…in endurance. See the same cluster of virtues in 1 Thess 1:3 and 1 Cor 13:13.
  4. Titus 2:4 tn Grk “that they may train” (continuing the sentence of 2:3).
  5. Titus 2:4 tn This verb, σωφρονίζω (sōphronizō), denotes teaching in the sense of bringing people to their senses, showing what sound thinking is.
  6. Titus 2:5 tn Or “sensible.”
  7. Titus 2:5 tn Grk “domestic,” “keeping house.”
  8. Titus 2:5 tn Or “word.”
  9. Titus 2:5 tn Or “slandered.”
  10. Titus 2:6 tn Or “sensible.”
  11. Titus 2:8 tn Or “put to shame.”
  12. Titus 2:9 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.
  13. Titus 2:9 tn Or “to be subject to their own masters, to do what is wanted in everything.”
  14. Titus 2:10 tn Or “showing that genuine faith is productive.” At issue between these two translations is the force of ἀγαθήν (agathēn): Is it attributive (as the text has it) or predicate (as in this note)? A number of considerations point in the direction of a predicate ἀγαθήν (e.g., separation from the noun πίστιν [pistin] by the verb, the possibility that the construction is an object-complement, etc.), though this is not usually seen as an option in either translations or commentaries. Cf. ExSyn 188-89, 312-13, for a discussion. Contextually, it makes an intriguing statement, for it suggests a synthetic or synonymous parallel: “‘Slaves should be wholly subject to their masters…demonstrating that all [genuine] faith is productive, with the result [ecbatic ἵνα] that they will completely adorn the doctrine of God.’ The point of the text, then, if this understanding is correct, is an exhortation to slaves to demonstrate that their faith is sincere and results in holy behavior. If taken this way, the text seems to support the idea that saving faith does not fail, but even results in good works” (ExSyn 312-13). The translation of ἀγαθήν as an attributive adjective, however, also makes good sense.
  15. Titus 2:10 tn Or “adorn,” “show the beauty of.”
  16. Titus 2:11 tn Grk “all men”; but ἀνθρώποις (anthrōpois) is generic here, referring to both men and women.
  17. Titus 2:12 tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle παιδεύουσα (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.
  18. Titus 2:12 tn Grk “ungodliness.”
  19. Titus 2:13 tn Grk “the blessed hope and glorious appearing.”
  20. Titus 2:13 tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on Sharp’s rule see ExSyn 270-78, esp. 276. See also 2 Pet 1:1 and Jude 4.
  21. Titus 2:14 tn Grk “who” (as a continuation of the previous clause).
  22. Titus 2:14 tn Or “a people who are his very own.”
  23. Titus 2:14 tn Grk “for good works.”
  24. Titus 2:15 tn Or “reproof,” “censure.” The Greek word ἐλέγχω (elenchō) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
  25. Titus 2:15 tn Grk “speak these things and exhort and rebuke with all authority.”
  26. Titus 2:15 tn Or “let anyone despise you”; or “let anyone disregard you.”